


The Darker Side of Things

by Alastair_Aers



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), M/M, Major Character Injury, Near Death, Panic Attacks, Possible Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:13:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22260865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alastair_Aers/pseuds/Alastair_Aers
Summary: Everything is looking up when Virgil moves in with his new friends Logan, Patton, and Roman. . . until news of a serial killer on the loose reaches them at their home. What will the four new found friends do to protect one another? and . . . oh what's that? do I smell a bit of angst in the air? One way to find out, Read!
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 25
Kudos: 82





	1. Starting Fresh

He had been going to college for three months and Virgil only knew one thing. That one thing was that the maps app on his cellphone definitely wasn’t working right and was sending him to a location that definitely wasn’t his new house. Virgil didn’t have time for this, he had a lot of things to do today and wandering aimlessly around the small college town he was about to move into was not apart of it. Well, considering that his agenda included moving into his new room and laying around in the dark listening to MCR for hours, this wasn’t the worst thing. Now he was walking around in the dark of night and listening to his playlist of his most angst filled songs through his ear buds, which didn’t help out his stressful situation that much. He just wished that the coffee guy had given him his phone number so he could make sure he was going the right way.

He only really had one person he knew and that guy had offered him a room in a nicely sized house. Virgil had met with this man many times in the past at a coffee shop and the guy had sort of become his therapist. Virgil told him his worries and the guy would give him advice on how to fix it. One morning, Virgil told him that he was sharing a one bedroom dorm with a complete stranger who munched on deodorant of all things and that it sucked hard to be in a seven foot radius of the “rat man” at all times. The man had listened quietly and then offered him a room in the four bedroom house that he lived in. Of course Virgil had accepted because he was honestly done dealing with his dorm mate who was a dirty minded creep. Virgil had gotten the street and house number from the coffee guy and then went to class. When school was done for the day, Virgil headed back to the dorm, packed up his few belongings into his backpack and headed out. 

Now that Virgil’s phone wasn’t working right, he resorted to using his street skills to find his new place. Now all he had to worry about was finding the house and not mess up and end the night getting murdered. Easy peasy. 

Virgil anxiously checked the address that coffee guy had given him as he walked through a neighborhood full of nice houses. As he strolled through the dark, he saw a family that was loading all of their belongings into a moving van. Seeing the multitude of boxes that were stacked on the driveway reminded him of how different his own lifestyle was. He didn’t really have material possessions, he just had never been raised that way. As a kid, his dad had always been on the move so Virgil never stayed in one place for too long, which lead to most of his things getting thrown away in the process. 

Checking the number for one last time as he walked up the driveway, Virgil prepared himself to knock on the door and have a conversation with who ever answered it. This had always been his problem. He had always freaked out about little things and stressed over basically nothing, but he had learned to live with it. Virgil took a deep breath and counted to ten. He knocked and waited. Shuffling feet and voices could be heard from beyond the door. “Here we go,” he whispered to himself as he heard the door unlock and the knob started to turn.

He had prepared for the door to open and for a person he had never seen before to be standing in front of it, he did not however expect said person to grab his arm and yank him through the door, bolting it locked behind him.


	2. Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's life has just been pulled into a whole new direction. . . quite literally.

“What the hell?” Virgil exclaimed as he yanked his arm out of the strangers hands. “Calm down Emo Nightmare,” the man said, “it isn’t safe to be outside this late. You should know that.” The man scoffed and turned to look through the peephole in the door, as if double checking that no one was out there. He had neatly done brown hair and was wearing a red sweatshirt with a golden shield on the front of it. He was glancing outside, looking ready to tear open the door and pounce on anything that would dare to show itself. Before Virgil had the chance of asking the man what he was looking for, a blonde mop of curly hair was blocking his vision.

Virgil took a step back and was looking right into two big ocean blue eyes accompanied by a pair of round glasses that were looking up into his face. “Um. . . hey.” Virgil muttered, watching as the man’s face lit up. “Hi! You must be the new kiddo moving in!” The man grabbed his hand and dragged him deeper into the house. Virgil looked backwards to the man by the door as he stumbled across the floor. He must have been satisfied with his search of the outside because he slowly turned around and followed them down the hall.

Finally, Virgil saw someone he knew as he was led into the kitchen by the energetic man. “Coffee guy!” Virgil called out. “Oh hello,” coffee guy said, looking up from a book he was reading at the table, “I’m glad you were able to find the address easily. I only realized after you left that I should have given you my cellular phone number. I offer my deepest apologies if that caused you any trouble.” Coffee guy stood up and walked towards Virgil, and energetic man who was still holding his hand. “It’s fine,” Virgil replied, shaking out of the grip, “I know how to navigate street signs and have a good sense of direction so everything worked out okay.” Virgil had noticed that coffee guy always seemed dressed sharp but he just assumed that it was because of his job or he was going to a meeting or something like that. Looking at him now, he could see that he must dress like this all of the time. With his hair slicked back and his glasses that framed his dark blue eyes sitting neatly on his nose.

The man in the red sweatshirt entered as Virgil finished his sentence. “Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?” sweatshirt guy said while leaning against the door frame. “Hey now! Don’t be rude,” The energetic man yelled out, “that wasn’t very polite of you to talk to our new roommate like that. Please apologize.” Sweatshirt guy rolled his eyes and mumbled a soft “I’m sorry” under his breath. “Anyway, we really do need to get to know each other if we are going to be living under the same roof for a while,” The energetic man turned to Virgil and held out his hand, “How do ya do! I’m Patton Terry! Nice to meet you!” Virgil shook Patton’s hand as coffee guy approached him from the side. “Salutations, I am Logan Barry. I do not believe I caught your name?”

“Well Logan, I don’t think he threw it.” Patton said with a grin on his face. Logan just looked confused. “I was not aware you could throw a name Patton. Where have you seen that done before? Is it a new greeting mechanism used in social interaction . . . ?” Patton just grinned while Logan continued to ramble on about when a name would be ‘thrown’ in a normal and or formal conversation. “It’s a joke Lo!” Patton finally said while chuckling.

Virgil couldn’t help but smile just a little bit at the awful joke his new roommate had just said. Life in this house was definitely going to be very interesting. Virgil felt a hand on his shoulder and he quickly turned to see the sweatshirt guy standing right by him. “I am sorry about before. I, Roman King, hope you accept my humble apology and want you to know that it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” When Roman gave his introduction, he flailed his arms out in a sort of fancy way. Virgil looked around at his new roommates. They seemed nice enough, maybe they would be nicer than his peers from high school.

“Alright, I’ll tell you my name if you promise not to laugh.” Patton looked confused. “Why would anyone laugh at your name, kiddo?” “Just promise okay . . . please?” Virgil was too insecure about this to argue. After all three of them had verbally agreed to not make fun of his name, Virgil took a deep breath to calm himself down.  
“My name is Virgil. Virgil Gray.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Let me know what you think! Chapter 3 should be coming soon (hopefully) :)


	3. Settle In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil finally gets to move into his new bedroom and get some much needed rest. . . . But . . . Who’s that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it is a bit long :). Lots of fluff in the beginning, bit of backstory in the middle and a bit of language towards the end :)  
> (not my favorite chapter but it leads up to a good one)

He closed his eyes and waited for the laughs and scoffs to start. But they never came. The three people standing in front of him didn’t even exhale slightly through their nostrils. Slowly Virgil opened his eyes. He didn’t see expressions of revolt or anger on any of their faces. Patton approached with the widest smile Virgil had ever seen. “Virgil,” Patton started, “why would anyone laugh at an amazing name like that?” At first, Virgil didn’t notice the tears that were building up. There was only one person in his life who had ever spoken to him like that.

One tear slowly fell down from his cheek. Memories from his past filled his mind, moments he had forgotten about came flooding back into his brain. Patton noticed his leaky eyes and quickly pulled him into a bear hug. Virgil hadn’t been hugged like that for a long time. Being hugged felt good.

Virgil gently broke the hug and wiped his eyes. “Do you want to see your new room kiddo?” Patton asked while glancing at Roman and Logan who were standing next to each other by the table, looking uncomfortable. “Sure.” Virgil croaked out, pulling his hoodie a bit closer in on himself. 

Patton slowly walked out of the room and Virgil followed him through the door. He didn’t really know how big the house was and was genuinely surprised when Patton led him up a set of stairs near the back of the house. As they reached the last step, Patton started down the hall. There were photos on the wall of his roommates in different locations across the city and of their families. There was a photo of Logan with an older woman with kind eyes and hair that was dyed a bright shade of blue. A picture of a young, smiling Patton with two middle aged men in a forest. And a picture of Roman with . . . Wait. Virgil took a quick double take. A teenage Roman was standing in between a man and a woman and he was standing next to someone Virgil recognized. 

Out of all of the people in the world that could have been in this photograph with his new roommate, his old dorm mate was not who Virgil would have expected. “Whatcha looking at Virge?” Patton called from the other end of the hall. “Just these pictures,” Virgil said, with his eyes still glued on Roman’s family photo, “Hey, do you know this guy?” Patton walked over and examined the framed photograph. “Oh! That’s Roman’s twin brother Remus.”  
“Remus... so that’s his name” Virgil muttered. “Do you know him?” Patton gave him a quizzical look. “Yeah,” Virgil turned to Patton, “I actually shared a dorm with him before I came to move in with you guys.” Patton’s mouth dropped open “No way! You know he is kinda bad news right?” 

Virgil nodded as he moved on to Patton’s photo. “Who are these guys?” Patton’s face lit up “Those are my dads! They adopted me when I was a baby!” The couple looked kind and happy. “And that,” Patton said while turning to Logan’s picture, “is Logan’s Grandma. She took Logan in after his parents . . . well . . . that is something Logan should tell you himself.” Patton looked sad for a moment before he shook himself out of it and looked up to Virgil. “Anyway, want to see your room?” Patton started walking back down the hall and this time Virgil followed.

It seemed that all of the bedrooms were upstairs. All of the doors were white except one that was painted a light blue and had brightly colored flowers plastered all over it. Patton led him to the last room on the left of the hallway, right across from the blue door. He opened the door and walked through. “Alright kiddo, here you go!” This room was much larger than Virgil expected. It was quite a bit bigger than his dorm and was already furnished with a bed, dresser, and nightstand. “What am I supposed to do with all this space?” Virgil asked. Patton shrugged “Whatever you want I guess. It’s your space.” Voices could be heard from downstairs and Patton turned his head towards them. “Well kiddo, I’ll leave you to get settled in. If you need anything, let out a holler!” Patton left the room and Virgil listened to him walk down the hall and head down the stairs. 

Virgil couldn’t remember having a room this big. He had gone through most of his life sleeping on a pull out sofa or taking a nap in the backseat of a car. 

Virgil took off his backpack and began to unload his sweatshirts, graphic t-shirts, and ripped jeans. He didn’t have a lot of clothes but he had been able to manage. Virgil neatly placed his few articles of clothing into the dresser that was sitting against the wall opposite of the twin bed. After that was done, he reached into his backpack and pulled out his phone charger. He plugged it into the wall as he removed his phone from his pocket. He was getting pretty tired. It was only nine o’clock on a Friday night but his eyelids were starting to feel heavier as each second passed. 

He plugged his phone in and turned to his backpack once again, this time taking out an oversized shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Making sure the door was shut and locked, he started to get changed. 

Once finished, Virgil grabbed a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste from a pocket of his bag. It was at that moment he realized that Patton had never told him where the bathroom was. 

He let out a long sigh and stepped out of his bedroom. It had to be around here somewhere. He tried all the doors on the second floor but they were either bedrooms or locked. As he searched the hall for the toilet, he heard voices from the kitchen downstairs. Quietly, Virgil crept down a few steps and took a seat. It seemed that Roman was arguing with the other two about something. 

Usually, Virgil would have minded his own business and snuck back to his room, but his need for the bathroom now did not only include brushing his teeth. After waiting another few seconds, Virgil continued down the stairs, making sure to make as much noise as possible so they knew he was approaching.

Patton was the first to notice him enter the kitchen. “What do you need Virgil?” He asked kindly. Virgil had never felt as embarrassed in his life than he did at that moment when he replied “Um… I need the bathroom.” Now it was Patton’s turn to look embarrassed. He quickly stood up and lead him to a door down the hall. Virgil hurriedly thanked him while bolting the door and did his business. 

Back in his room, he lay awake on his bed. He was curious about what tomorrow would bring since he would spend a whole day in the house. His eyelids slowly started to close as he ran through possible scenarios in his brain, his entire body relaxing and letting sleep wash over. 

•

•

•  
CLUNK!

What the fuck was that? He sat bolt upright as a cold sweat made its way down his neck and back.

CLUNK!

The sound was coming from his window.

CLUNK! 

Virgil got out of his bed and slowly traced the wall to his window. Making sure he couldn’t be seen, he peaked around the edge of his window and searched for someone, or something, that was outside hurling things at the glass. 

Wait.

What was that?

Virgil stopped dead in his tracks. He saw someone. 

Every hair on his body stood on end as he watched the dark figure pick up another rock and chuck it towards the window. What the hell? Suddenly it stood still. It just stared at the window and Virgil swore he could see a creepy grin grow ever wider within the shadows of the night. Then, without warning, the figure raced off into the dark. Virgil sat with his back against the wall, trying to catch his breath and calm down. 

There was a snowball's chance in hell that he was going to be able to get back to sleep tonight.


	4. Crystal Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil had always walked the world alone, but his new friends might change that.

What in the devil was that noise?  
The loud bumps that were coming from across the hall were keeping Roman from drifting back into sleep and he was not having it.  
Roman crept out of bed to investigate. Who knew what could be the source of the thumps from outside? He snuck out through the doorway and listened. A loud clunk was heard from the room across from Patton’s door. 

Virgil’s room. 

Roman walked quickly to the door and put his ear next to the doorknob. Another clunk was heard from inside and Roman was starting to get worried. What the fuck was going on? 

He waited at the door for another minute and could hear breathing from behind the door. Then he heard a body sliding down the wall on the other side of the room.  
That was the last straw. Roman burst through the door to see Virgil sitting against the wall next to his window, he seemed shocked to see him in his room. He quickly stood to his feet “Roman what are you doing?” Roman did a quick scan of the room, looking for the source of the thumps he heard before. What had gone on in here?  
“Roman? Why did you come into my room?” Virgil’s face had gradually been changing to a deeper shade of red since Roman’s arrival. Odd. He did another take of the room. Nothing to see, but what had made the noise? If only he-

“ROMAN!” Virgil yelled out. Roman then realized he hadn’t talked to the man the whole time he had been in his room. Only then did he realize that the red in Virgil’s face was from frustration. Roman’s face began to flush as well, realizing how awkward the situation had become. 

• • •

Now Virgil was starting to get angry. Why had this man, this stranger burst into his room like that? And what made him so high and mighty that he wouldn’t answer a few stupid questions. “Fine, if you won’t answer me,” Virgil started, “I’ll just leave.” He started heading towards the door when Roman grabbed his arm and spun him around. “Sorry,” Roman seemed disheveled, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Virgil looked at Roman’s red face and found himself blushing. Roman’s hair was disheveled and he was wearing a t-shirt that had a crown design. It seemed that the dashing prince had come to save the damsel in distress. What a cliche pile of bullshit. “Well Princey, -Can I call you Princey?- I am completely fine.” Virgil shook his arm out of Roman’s grasp and left the room. Leaving Roman standing seemingly dumbfounded.

• • •

Roman stood alone. What was going on? He had gone in with a purpose and it seemed to have all fallen apart. He had planned to go in the room and gain information about the situation. 

But instead, it seemed he choked.  
Shaking himself off, Roman set out to find Virgil. 

He heard a clattering from downstairs and followed it into the kitchen. Virgil was sitting at the table holding a glass of water. “You’re following me now? Isn’t that kinda creepy?” Virgil asked before swigging a mouth full of water. Roman sat across from him at the table. 

“Virgil,” Roman began, “What was that noise? Do you know what was making it?”. Virgil took a breath and replied with “Why do you care?”

• • •

This was none of Roman’s business. He should keep his nose out of it. Virgil did feel a bit bad about the hurt he saw in Roman’s eyes as he answered his question, but it was better than having him get involved in his life. Virgil stood up, finished his water and placed the cup in the sink. When he turned to head back to his bedroom, he found Roman was blocking his way. Virgil looked up into Roman’s face and uttered one single word. 

“Move.”

• • •

Roman shook his head. Who did this guy think he was? Roman was only trying to help and he was being pushed aside like last week's fashion magazine. “Not until you tell me what’s going on Virgil.” Virgil let out a deep sigh and let out a soft “fine”. 

Virgil went to sit back down at the table and Roman followed. 

• • •

Where was Virgil supposed to start? What questions did Roman want to be answered? After taking a deep breath he started to tell Roman about everything that had happened only a few minutes ago. He told him about how the sound of objects being thrown at his bedroom window had woken him up. He told him about creeping to the side of the window frame to sneak a look at who ever was causing the disturbance. Virgil had even told him about how he had frozen when he caught sight of the person outside on the front lawn. 

After Virgil finished, Roman nodded his head. “Alright, thank you.” Roman still seemed quite confused when he looked over to Virgil after he finished. “Will you let me go back to bed now?” Virgil asked. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, but he could waste away the rest of the night watching conspiracy videos on his phone.

“Just one more question Virgil,” Roman said while looking at the table, “Why didn’t you call out for one of us? We would have come to help you. You wouldn’t of had to go through that alone.” Virgil cringed at Roman’s statement. Sure it would of been nice if he would of been able to have someone at his side, but he knew that would never happen. 

• • •

Roman waited for Virgil’s response in silence. What would it take to get this man to trust them? Granted, Virgil had moved in only a few hours ago, so it did make sense if he didn’t feel completely comfortable with any of them yet.

Virgil looked into Roman’s eyes with the saddest expression he had ever seen. “I didn’t call out to you because I didn’t think you would care.” He said, looking down at his hands. 

Roman was taken aback by his response. 

This man had just said that he, Roman King, would not care if anything had happened to him. 

That Logan Barry would have turned a cold shoulder to a man in need. 

That Patton Fucking Terry, the man with the biggest heart of anyone Roman had ever met, would not give a single shit about him. 

“Alright,” Roman spoke with a hint of audible rage, “Let’s get one fucking thing straight.”

• • •

The tone of Roman’s voice shocked Virgil. He looked up to see the man across from him looking angrily at the table. Roman brought his gaze up to Virgil's face and their eyes locked. 

“Listen here Storm Cloud, I don’t know where you came from or how you grew up, but let's get this crystal clear. As long as you are in this house, your business is ours too. As long as you are under this roof, you need to trust that we will be on your side no matter what. As long as you reside in these walls, you are part of a family, part of a team. Whatever is going on in your life, we'll be in your corner. Whatever the consequences.”

Virgil heard a shuffling behind him and saw Logan and Patton standing in the doorway to the kitchen, both with messy hair and dressed in pajamas. Patton smiled and sat next to Virgil, putting an arm around his shoulders. “Sorry Kiddo, once you came through that front door, you became part of the pack.” Logan sat next to Roman and looked across the table while saying, “I’m quite surprised you didn’t realize that when I first asked you to move in. I guess I should of been a bit more detailed about what you were getting into, but at least it is clear now. We are here for you as Roman said, no matter what.”

Virgil looked at his new friends. His new family. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice breaking, “I’ve just never had something like this before.” 

He looked at all of their faces and realized they really did care. 

With that in mind, for the first time in a long time, Virgil felt happy. 

He didn't feel alone.

“Thank you.”


	5. Memory From The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything had calmed down a bit, so the four housemates decide to have a movie night in Patton's room. Logan turns on the news and . . .

Instead of going back to sleep, Patton suggested that they all go into his room to watch disney movies. Roman let out an enthusiastic cry of agreement while both Logan and Virgil shrugged their approval. 

And so they all walked up the stairs and to the room with the blue door. It turned out that Patton’s door decorations weren’t as extravagant as the ones inside his room. The entire room was painted a peaceful shade of light blue and there were plant pots scattered all around the floor. Virgil even spotted a small potted tree sitting in the corner nearest to the window. The walls were decorated with flower decals and a few small insect stickers. Patton’s bed was a happy shade of yellow and had a checkerboard pattern on the comforter. Virgil wasn’t all that surprised that Patton's room matched his personality. He just seemed to radiate positivity and happiness. 

There were a few pictures on the wall, some of Patton and his parents and others of Patton, Roman, and Logan together. Virgil wondered how long his three friends had known each other. The television was hung on a wall directly across from the bed. Logan grabbed the remote and turned the T.V. on, the first channel to come up was the news.  
Patton went to a drawer to the side of his room and looked over to Virgil. “Want to help pick out a movie?” Virgil headed over to Patton while Logan and Roman sat down on the bed. Patton had a huge drawer filled to the brim with DVD’s. He had every disney movie from Bambi to Frozen and Virgil didn’t even know where to start. 

“Oh my god.” Logan said from the bed. Patton and Virgil looked over to see that both Roman and Logan had gone pale and looked sick. Their eyes were glued to the television set. Virgil walked over to see what the fuss was about. When Patton came over to join them, Logan turned the volume up. Virgil was quite surprised to see a photograph of their house broadcast on live television, but the thing that really caught his attention and made him feel worried was the person running away from it. 

It was the same person who had been standing on the front lawn. Except now, instead of holding rocks or any other throwable object, he was holding a knife. Virgil could feel the color drain out of his face. Roman glanced over at Virgil and asked “Is that him?”.

Virgil nodded. 

The newscaster was giving them a briefing about who this guy is and why he was dangerous. No one knew his name, but everyone called him Gorgon, bringer of death. He was a known serial killer but the police hadn’t been able to catch him yet. He had committed thirty known kidnappings and fifteen known homicides and was now on the west side of the United States. He had made his way down from Canada and less than an hour ago he had been right outside their house. 

Virgil thought he was going to be sick. He had been the one who had woken Virgil up at  
3 AM. That man had been throwing stuff at his window. 

That man had seen his face. 

• • •

Nothing like this had ever happened to Patton. The most dramatic or shocking thing that had ever gone on in his life had been when he got a D in math during his Junior year of high school. This definitely topped the cake. A serial killer? Outside of their house? Things seemed to be getting pretty crazy. Usually in situations of stress, Patton would start cracking jokes to try and lighten the mood, but now he, Patton the Pun Star, was at a loss of anything funny to say. The situation was much too serious to be joking around. Virgil looked like he was about to pass out and Roman looked like he was going to be sick. Patton needed to be there for them.

Patton went over to where Virgil was standing near the bed. Virgil’s knees were locked and Patton could see that he was swaying ever so slightly back and forth. 

Not a good sign.

“Virgil,” Patton called gently, “Sit down kiddo.” It didn’t seem like Virgil could hear him. 

Also not a good sign. 

Patton put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder and Virgil almost jumped out of his skin. His skin was damp and his eyes were racing around the room frantically. This was not good. “Virgil, sit down,” Patton repeated, his worry growing for his friend, “come on bud, down.” Patton grabbed Virgil’s arm and helped him down to the ground. It was then that Patton realized how hot Virgil’s skin was. “Hey kiddo,” Patton said gently while laying Virgil down on the floor, “I’m gonna need you to calm down.” 

Roman and Logan seemed to have broken out of their trance in front of the television, because they came over to help Patton help Virgil. All three of them couched Virgil on breathing and helped him calm down just a little bit. Feeling better, Virgil sat up and hugged his knees. “You okay kiddo?” Patton looked at Virgil with a bit of concern but felt relieved when he saw Virgil was attempting to smile back at him. “Yeah Pat, I’m okay. Just a little panic attack.” A piece of the puzzle that made up Virgil’s life went in to place when he said that. Panic attacks. So possibly a bit of heightened anxiety? Patton would keep note of that. Patton was used to dealing with panic attacks and mental breakdowns. 

• • •

“Virgil, do you know that Gorgon guy?” Roman asked from Patton’s side. Virgil’s breath caught in his throat. They should know. They would care. They would help. Controlling his breathing once again, Virgil looked Roman in the eyes. Virgil’s pain and sorrow must have been evident because Roman looked like he regretted asking. “I’m sorry,” Roman muttered looking embarrassed for the second time this night - or morning-, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“No it’s okay Princey,” Virgil said, cracking a smile, “I can trust you guys right?” Virgil took another deep breath as he felt his smile fade away. This was going to be the first real thing about his past that he would reveal to his new family. “I do know Gorgon,” Virgil started, “It was ten years ago? Nine? Anyway, he was in my hometown. I lived there with my mom and my dad before-” Virgil broke off. This was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be. He was one step closer to breaking down again. “Take your time kiddo. No rush.” Patton’s voice helped him get a hold of himself and Virgil nodded in response. 

“One night,” He continued choosing every word with care, not wanting to slip up, “My family had finished dinner and we were sitting around in the living room, watching cartoons or something like that. Then-” Virgil paused to take a shaky breath. “-Then he cut the power off. That was his style I guess. My dad thought nothing of it and went to grab a flashlight. Me and my mom were sitting alone in the dark.” Tears started to build up as Virgil though back to the most traumatic moment of his life. He could feel the shakes start to come back and Patton looked over to him with a worried expression masking his face. Virgil just needed to get through this story. Then he would never have to tell it again. “Gorgon broke in through the window while my dad was in the room over. It was too dark to see anything and I didn’t know what was going on until it was too late. My mom’s screams of pain filled my house as Gorgon took her life away. He sort of got me too. Guess I’m lucky my dad walked in when he did, he disrupted the guy,” Virgil took a brief pause to lift up a part of his shirt. Revealing a large scar that went across his stomach. The room was silent. “He was only able to get a shallow slash on me before he left my house the same way he had entered. Leaving my mom lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, and my dad to care for a son he never really loved. Since then, my dad has moved from town to town, dragging me along with him. The moment I graduated from high school, he kicked me to the curb and told me to figure life out myself. Great things to say to your eighteen year old son.” Virgil was surprised that he wasn’t balling in a fetal position on the floor by now. Patton, on the other hand, had tears streaming down his face. Virgil was shocked at this, he looked over at his other friends and discovered that their eyes were also wet. 

• • •

Patton lifted up his glasses and wiped his eyes. Patton hadn’t cried this much since he watched the fox and the hound. He was a bit surprised too. He hadn’t expected Virgil to share his life story with them this early on but Patton assumed that their speech about being in this together had really gotten through to him. “Thank you for sharing that difficult memory Virgil.” Logan said. “Sure thing,” Virgil mumbled, “It’s good to get it off my chest.” Patton didn’t know if Virgil even liked hugs, but he was about to give him one anyway. “Virge, come here real quick.” Patton said, extending his arms. Virgil smiled as he went over to get hugged by Patton. It was an acknowledgement hug, nothing romantic. But when Patton looked over at Roman’s face, he could detect a hint of jealousy. Patton gave him a little smirk and Roman’s entire face immediately turned a bright shade of red. Patton’s grin grew a bit wider as Virgil broke the hug and leaned his back against Patton’s bed. 

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am exhausted. How about we hit the hay?” Patton suggested, holding back a yawn. “Um, Pat,” Virgil asked looking around, “can I stay in here with you?” Patton nodded. “Of course Kiddo! Now that I think about it, let’s all have a sleepover in my room!” Roman and Logan went to go get blankets and pillows and within ten minutes, everyone in the room was fast asleep.


	6. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A transition chapter from the beginning to the next segment of our story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long to get out! This chapter is more of a gateway into the next stage of the story it is a bit short :)

Morning came and Roman couldn’t keep his eyes open. The following night hadn’t been a great one. His relationship with Virgil hadn’t started out great and the scare at 3 am didn’t really help. It had all started with the knock on their door. Roman didn’t know why he didn’t get the memo about Virgil moving in that day, but he had no idea that the young man with purple hair would show up at his doorstep late that night. But Roman recognized the description that Logan had given him and yanked the man inside. Now that Roman thought back, it made sense why Virgil reacted the way he did. He grimaced as he realized how unsettling it would have been to have a complete stranger pull you into a house. But Roman had done it out of fear. There had been whispers about someone dangerous in the town long before they watched the news in Patton’s room. Virgil and Roman definitely didn’t get off on a good foot, with the name calling and all, but Roman was glad they all were able to introduce themselves to the new addition before Virgil called it a night. 

When Patton had come back, Roman was appalled about the information he learned. Virgil had been dorm mates with Remus, his brother. Roman and Remus had had a falling out about a year ago and Roman hadn’t heard from him since, but this new guy, the emo man with a taste for alternative music, had been living with him for three months! Roman didn’t know why this had made him angry, but it did. He had started going off on a rant about how much trouble Remus was and he was quite concerned that Virgil had spent so long with him. Patton and Logan had tried to calm him down and asked him to lower his voice, since Virgil had gone to bed a few minutes before, but Roman just retaliated with more points about how terrible his brother was. It wasn’t that he hated Remus, it was just . . . well it was just complicated. That brief argument lasted until Virgil himself show up in the doorway of the kitchen, asking for the bathroom. 

The rest was history.

The entirety of the day was uneventful, everyone was quite tired and they all spent the day watching cartoons and movies together as well as getting to know each other. The rest of the weekend past as such and then they all had to go back to classes on Monday morning. 

Eventually, days turned into weeks and weeks into months.

Virgil ended up getting a part time job at -surprise- a local Hot Topic that was inside of a super mall. He was settling in rather fast and was starting to fit in more and more everyday. 

Logan even let Virgil take a test drive of the L mobile (as Patton and Roman called it). It was an old jeep that had been painted a dark shade of blue, matching Logan's color scheme quite brilliantly. Logan didn’t let anyone drive the L mobile, not even Patton, who he had been getting closer and closer with ever since Patton moved in almost a year ago. Roman and Patton had known each other since high school and had both moved in with Logan at around the same time.

Although Patton would never admit it, he did get a bit flustered whenever Logan was around and Roman saw his face flush when ever he talked about Logan. 

Which was a lot. 

What was a bit concerning is that now every time Roman talked to or about Virgil, he felt his face get hot as well. There was no way that he was falling for Virgil was there? No way! He had basically only just met the man! Yet, whenever Roman thought or spoke about Virgil, he found he couldn’t stop smiling or blushing. Patton noticed it pretty early on and when ever he mentioned it to Roman, Roman redirected the conversation towards Patton and Logan, instantly shutting it down. 

Things went on like this for quite a long time, enough time for the spring semester to end and for all of the young men to ease into full blown summer vacation. Everything seemed to be looking up. They had not heard anything about Gorgon for the past few months and everything was going well. 

If only that feeling could have lasted forever, for they had no idea what was going to happen next.


	7. Crushing Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After living in the house for many months, Virgil has grown to trust everyone he is living under the same roof as. But it seems that Roman is acting a bit strange. And with a mysterious visitor showing up . . .

Virgil lay in his bed listening to music in the dark. Over the months that he had been living with Roman, Patton, and Logan, his life had gotten considerably better. He had panic attacks less often and was feeling calmer than he had ever been living with Remus. It wasn’t that Remus was a bad person, it was just that he was disgusting. The state of filth that Remus lived in caused Virgil, who liked things at least a little clean, uncomfort and ultimately led him to complaining to Logan in the coffee shop. Virgil was glad that he had met Logan and moved in, but Roman had been acting strangely lately. He always looked embarrassed when he was talking to Virgil and at this point, Virgil was wondering if it was something he did. Maybe Roman saw him as weak since his breakdown in Patton’s room after they all saw the news report.   
Virgil sat up. No, it couldn’t be that. Roman had been the first one to rush to his side after the window incident, and he had given him that whole speech at the kitchen table. Virgil sighed and grabbed his phone. It was five o-clock in the morning so Logan was probably getting up to work on the book he had been writing since school got out for summer. Virgil slowly got up and slipped a sweatshirt over his tee shirt he had been sleeping in. He then slowly opened his door so he wouldn’t wake up Roman and Patton who were probably still sleeping soundly. 

Virgil crept down the stairs and walked into the kitchen where he saw Logan standing in front of the coffee pot with his laptop in hand. “Good morning Virgil,” Logan said without looking up from his mug he was filling with coffee, “Did you have trouble sleeping again?” Virgil had been having trouble sleeping, but he didn’t want Logan to worry that much. “No, not really,” Virgil answered, “just woke up early.” Logan gave him a concerned look but didn’t question it further. Virgil sat down at the table and Logan followed suit, sitting across and starting work on his novel. “What chapter are you writing now Lo?” Virgil asked. Virgil was intrigued with the story Logan was writing. Although Logan seemed like someone who would write a nonfiction story, he was actually writing an interesting sci-fi type story about a cyborg going up against the government of the planet 7834. When Logan started a new chapter, Virgil would listen to his summary and tell him what he thought about it. It was calming and fun to imagine the world Logan had created in his tale. Virgil’s favorite character was the shadow knight who aided the cyborg in fighting against the leader of the planet. This chapter was about the raid of the capitol building. Virgil listened intently as Logan told him the plot and asked what he thought. This chapter was Virgil’s favorite so far and he told Logan accordingly, giving him a few tips about flow and how to captivate the reader as the story reached its climax. 

By the time they finished touching up the story, it was around the time for Patton to spring down the stairs and start to make breakfast for everyone. As if right on cue, a happy voice chirped “Good morning kiddos!” as Patton stepped into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Morning, Pat.” Virgil said as Logan closed his computer and got the table ready for breakfast. 

Ever since school got out, they had been eating as many meals together as they could together. Roman shuffled into the kitchen stifling a yawn as he muttered “Morning’” to everybody in the room. “Morning Princess,” Virgil said with an impish grin, “did you get enough sleep, beauty queen?” Roman visibly became red as he muttered back “Oh hush, you dark and stormy knight”. There it was again, he was embarrassed. But why? Virgil guessed he had been teasing him but usually Roman responded with something proud like “I did, in fact, get a good night's sleep for your information” but he had never looked as flustered as he did right now. Virgil studied Roman’s face as he sat across from him at the dining table. 

Patton could sense the tension in the room after Roman sat down. Oh dear. It seemed everyone but himself was blind to the situation happening right in front of him. Patton shot Roman a cheeky grin and Roman looked down at his hands, clearly embarrassed. Patton smiled to himself as he brought the food he just finished making to the table for his family to eat. “Alright fellas, dig in!”

Patton’s cooking was more satisfactory than normal and Logan couldn’t perceive what could have possibly changed since the following evening. As Logan chewed on the pancakes Patton had whipped up in a surprisingly short amount of time, he suddenly felt an odd sort of flattery towards Patton. But wait, Logan had never felt this kind of feeling ever, even considering that he had been in a small handful of relationships with various people in the past. Logan looked up from his food and caught Patton’s eyes from across the table. Patton’s eyes crinkled as he smiled back and Logan felt a flutter in his chest. Logan’s first impression was to be frightened, but once they cleaned up the kitchen and went off on their own, Logan realized it was nothing to worry about at all. 

Roman was lying on his bed, bored out of his mind, when he heard a chorus of soft knocks on his door frame. Roman looked up to see Virgil leaning against the frame and leaning into his room. “Hey Princey,” he called from the doorway, “can I come in?” Roman sat up on his bed while nodding his permission for Virgil to enter. 

Virgil walked into the room and sat across from Roman on the bed. “You okay Sir Sings-a-lot? You’ve been acting weird lately. Roman looked awkwardly into his hands as he muttered that he was fine. Virgil watched quietly as Roman’s face grew increasingly red and he looked more and more uncomfortable. “What’s up with you? Are you sick?” Virgil reached out and put the back of his hand on Roman’s forehead. “You feel fine. Do yo-” Virgil cut himself off when Roman grabbed his hand and moved it off of his face. Roman looked to the floor as Virgil tried to search his face for whatever emotion he was feeling. 

Roman felt his face go red and hot as Virgil gazed at him. He studied the hard wood in his bedroom as he tried to figure out what to say. “Virgil I-,” He started, cutting himself off as he locked eyes with the purple haired man, “I-.” Virgil gave him a quizzical look. “Come on Princey, it’s okay. Spit it out.” Roman felt the words get caught in his throat as he tried to form a coherent sentence. “Virgil, I think I li-,” this time it was Patton that cut Roman off. “Sorry kiddo,” he said as he stood by the door frame, “Virgil, someone is at the door for you.” Virgil gave Roman a confused glance as he stood up to follow Patton out the door. As Virgil left the room, Roman laid flat on his back on his bed, contemplating the many better ways that encounter could have gone. 

Virgil racked his brain for any of his contacts who would know where he was living at the moment. He didn’t have any friends he could think of outside of this house so he was wary of the mysterious visitor who was just outside on the front porch. Patton walked him to the front room and headed off to the kitchen, giving Virgil some privacy.   
Virgil gulped and set off to complete the last few steps to the doorway, which was cracked open. He grabbed the knob and pulled the door all the way to allow himself to see his guest. He gaped at the person standing outside of his home. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 7! It has been a rough couple of months but I've finally found time to sit down and write! I hope you are all doing well and staying safe!


	8. Virgil's Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil sees a familiar face as he catches up with an old friend . . . and receives some terrible news.

“Virge, I half expected you to run out of the house with your middle fingers pointed to the sky judging by the state our friendship was in when we last saw each other.” Virgil’s visitor cracked a mischievous grin as Virgil struggled to control the rising anger growing inside of him. “Dee, what the H-E-Double Fuck are you doing here?” Dee’s hard expression melted away as he took a step forward. “Virgil,” he said, his tone growing softer, “I’ve come to help you.” 

Virgil searched the face of his old friend. They hadn’t ended on good terms. Virgil was surprised to even see him here after what had happened. They had met when they were quite young, young enough that Virgil’s mother was still alive. Dee had a large scar across his face from falling into a lava pit while fighting a demon . . . at least, that is what he told everyone. Virgil didn’t believe it for a second but Dee would never give him an honest answer so he ended up dropping the subject. The lies were one of the reasons that Virgil never trusted Dee fully, but he stuck with him because he was the only kid that paid him any attention. Dee had quickly adopted Virgil as a friend and took him under his wing. Dee was a sort of tough guy. He had always gone by Dee because he liked it better that way. He also had a knack for getting in trouble. Virgil got pulled into pretty deep shit at one point during their senior year, so deep that it would have cost Virgil his graduation. That is where Virgil had drawn the line. He told Dee he was done and stopped speaking to him. 

“Dee, I don’t need your help.” Virgil said, preparing to shut the door and go about his day. “Virgil wait,” Virgil glanced up and looked into Dee’s face to see a rare genuine expression on his face, “This is serious shit Virge. You’ve gotta let me do something.” Virgil looked at him confused. “Dee I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dee rolled his green eyes and fixed his gaze on Virgil. “Bullshit,” he hissed, “you haven’t been living under a rock Virgie. You should know plenty well what has been happening with Gorgon.” 

Virgil went pale. Why did he have to bring him up now? When Virgil’s life was going good for the first time. “Virgil, I can help you,” Dee said, desperately trying to give Virgil a reason to keep talking to him, “who was it that was at your side after your mom died Virgil? Not your dad. It was me. I was there for you then and I’m still here. Just let me help.” There was a hint of panic in his voice that Virgil thought was out of place. Dee never panicked. He was cool in even the most dangerous situations. So what had him so spooked that he would feel so obligated to help Virgil now? After the years they had been apart? “Dee, I’m going inside,” Virgil said, gripping the door knob and preparing to shut him out, “I would thank you for stopping by, but all that you have done is made me angry and stressed. Goodbye.” Dee gave a defeated look. “Fine,” Dee turned away, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you Virgil. Stay safe.” He then turned on his heel and began to walk away. 

Virgil stood with his hand on the doorknob as he watched his first friend walk away. He let out a growl and launched himself away from the door to follow Dee out onto the front lawn. “Okay you Asshole,” Virgil shouted to him, “what do I need to be warned about?” Dee turned with a grin and said “I knew you would come around Virgie.” Virgil grimaced at the nickname. “Virgie is a nine year old who had hope for the world and had his mom help with homework. Please call me by my actual name or I’ll march right back inside and slam the door on your stupid ass face.” Dee chuckled as he put his hands up in surrender. “You’ve become much more feisty Virgil,” he said with a smile in his eyes, “ I wonder if that is caused by my influence.” Virgil scoffed but cracked a small grin. He had missed his friend, even if he wouldn’t admit it to his face. Dee’s expression turned serious again as he stood squarely in front of Virgil. “Okay Virge. This is where shit hits the fan. There is something you need to know.”

Patton gazed through the front facing window, watching Virgil and his strange visitor talk on the lawn. Patton wished he had learned to read lips before this point in time because he thought it would be useful to know what they were saying. While Patton was observing the scene outside, Roman walked down the stairs and stood next to him. After giving Roman a quick run down of the situation, Patton took a seat on the couch facing the window and Roman followed suit. Patton watched as the scarred stranger placed a hand on a trembling Virgil and turned away and walked off the lawn and onto the sidewalk, headed away from the house. Patton gave a concerned glance to Roman as they both stood up and headed out the front door. 

They found Virgil standing alone in the middle of the lawn. He was shaking. Patton rushed to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. Virgil brushed it off and turned towards the house. He just needed some time to process. The information Dee had given him made Virgil more devastated then he would have originally thought. Virgil felt a firm hand on his shoulder as he was forced to turn and face Roman. He averted his gaze and tried to wriggle free but Roman was considerably stronger. “Roman,” Virgil said, looking up into his eyes, “let me go.”

Roman was shocked to see tears forming in Virgil’s eyes. What news had this man heard that had caused him to get this emotional? “Virgil, what’s wrong.” Roman put his other hand on Virgil’s free shoulder and forced the man to look straight into his face. “Virgil-” Roman watched as Virgil squirmed and tried to break free of his grip. “Virgil!” Roman could see sorrow mixed with rage in the expressions of his roommate's face. “Roman I said let me go. I’ll explain everything inside. We can’t stay out here.” With his final sentence, Virgil began to frantically search the surroundings, fear becoming the most prominent emotion on his face. “Fine,” Roman said, releasing him and following Virgil as he led both Patton and Roman inside. 

Virgil plopped down on the couch and watched Patton and Roman sit across from him on a coffee table. Virgil began telling them about Dee and why he was associated with him. He went into a very detailed explanation about the beginning of the conversation, leaving out swear words that were spoken for Patton’s sake. Eventually he arrived at the news he had received from Dee. This he found he wasn’t able to speak out loud. He paused and stared at the floor while trying to collect his racing thoughts. “I’m sorry, this part is harder than I thought it would be.” he said with a small chuckle. “It’s alright Virgil,” Roman spoke softly across from him, “take your time. What did he tell you?” Virgil took a deep breath and laughed at how pathetic he was. “It’s like taking off a bandaid. I just need to spit it out, but the words aren’t there. Why am I feeling this way? I didn’t even like the man.” Virgil took another breath and watched Roman and Patton exchange a worried and confused look. “Virgil, who are you talking about.” Virgil’s mind raced as he tried to sort through his thoughts and feelings that didn’t make sense to him. He had never had a good relationship with him so why did he feel so broken? Virgil’s voice cracked   
“It’s my father. He’s dead.”


	9. Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil returns to his room to try and busy his mind with healthy distractions. Roman later joins him and they go back to a conversation they had before Dee showed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry my posting schedule has been wack lately! Anyways, I tried writing some fluff that I'm not used to writing so I'm not sure if I like it yet. Anyway, as always let me know what you think! Also, feel free to give any helpful advice! Hope you are all doing well and staying safe!

Virgil excused himself to his room. He flopped on his bed and started scrolling through his phone to try and distract himself from everything that was happening. He lost track of time and continued down an internet rabbit hole about conspiracy theories until he heard a soft tap on his door. 

“‘Sup Princey.” He said not looking away from his screen. He heard Roman push the door open a bit more. 

“Virgil,” He said cautiously, “may I come in?” 

“Sure.”

Roman walked over to Virgil’s bed and lay next to him on his back. He waited a few breaths before he turned to the other man. “How are you holding up, Virge?” Roman finally said. Virgil scoffed and said “Pretty fucking great Roman, considering my dad was just killed.” Roman flinched but decided that he deserved it, considering he had brought up a sore subject. Virgil let out a huff and turned to Roman. “I’m sorry that was a bit harsh. I appreciate you came to check up on me but if you ask me a dumb ass question like ‘how are you holding up?’ I’m going to get pretty pissed off.” Virgil let out a small chuckle at the end of his sentence. Roman grinned too. He had sensed the sarcasm in Virgil’s voice and he was glad to see the man joking even after he heard the traumatic news from his mysterious visitor. 

Speaking of which. . . 

“Virgil, tell me if I’m being too invasive, but I was wondering who that guy was.” Virgil stared at Roman as he said “Why, are you interested?” As Roman grew as red as a tomato, Virgil smirked. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” He said through an impish grin, “He’s an old friend. We used to be thick as thieves. But we had a falling out. His name is Dee Nathair.” Roman nodded. “How did he know about,” Roman bit his lip, “you know.” Virgil let out a sigh. “I don’t know.” Suddenly Virgil remembered something about earlier that night. “Hey wait a minute,” he started, “what were you going to tell me before Patton called me downstairs? You seemed pretty worked up about it.”

In what seemed to be record breaking time, Roman went from the completion of a red tomato to the hue of the contents of a can of red paint. 

“Ohit’sreallynothingtoworryaboutactually,youcanjustforgetaboutit.” he rushed out. 

Virgil gave him a smirk. “Come on Princey, you can tell me.” 

“noreallyit’sokayitwasreallynothing.”

“Roman.”

“Virgil.”

“Patton!” came a cheery voice from the hallway, causing both men on the bed to jump. 

“Oh golly Roman,” Patton smirked, “are you finally going to tell Virgil?”

“PATTON! Please leave! Now! Or I will go straight to Logan!”

Patton let out a chuckle as he walked through the hall and down the stairs. ‘Hopefully that gets the conversation started’, he thought to himself, smirking as he went to sit down in the living room. 

“Now you’ve got to tell me!” Virgil said with a chuckle, seeing how red Roman had become. Roman saw the wrinkle of Virgil’s eyes as he smiled and let out the small laughs. It set his heart aflutter and made his BPM skyrocket. But there was no use in pining after someone who doesn’t feel the same. If he didn’t bring up his little crush, then he would never know if Virgil felt the same way. 

“Virgil,” Roman said slowly, “we’ve known each other for a few months now, right?” Virgil looked confused about the seemingly rapid change of subject. “Uh, yeah I guess.” He answered. “Okay good, good,” Roman mustered up his courage. He had rehearsed this multiple times in his head, this had to work. Suddenly bolstering with confidence, he sat up and turned to Virgil. He then began talking as if he was reading from a script. “Virgil, my dark and stormy knight,” He began, “would you like to go on a date with me?”

Virgil’s jaw dropped. He had no idea what he had been expecting but definitely not this! Of course he wanted to go out with Roman! The behavior patterns he had seen in Roman seemed to crash back into his brain as he thought back to all of the times Roman had gotten flustered around him. He was kinda glad Roman hadn’t seen Virgil himself grow pink as he thought about him. But he had assumed that Roman hadn’t been interested. Seems like the saying Pat always says is true. ‘When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.’ It wasn’t until he looked into Roman’s anticipating face that he realized he had gone a full thirty seconds without answering him. “Roman-” he started before he was cut off. “Imsorryvirgilthatwasreallysuddenandrightafteryouheardawfulnewsaboutfamilymembersandicaughtyouoffguardandnowyouregonnahatemeand-” It was Virgil’s turn to cut off the rambling prince. “Roman,” Virgil said, looking into Roman’s eyes, “I would love to go on a date with you!” 

Roman looked star struck. “Really?” 

“Of course, Sir. Sings-a-lot! Why wouldn’t I want to? All this time I thought you weren’t interested but I guess assuming you didn’t feel the same way really made an ass out of me.” Roman chuckled at Virgil’s statement. “I was the one assuming,” Roman explained, “It took me months to even attempt to ask you out!” Virgil let out a snicker. “Well, a relationship works both ways Princey, I could have asked you out too.” After a few minutes of discussing their first date and how it would go, they retreated into Roman’s room to watch a Disney movie. After much arguing, they decided on watching The Little Mermaid, But Virgil didn’t make it past the second song. He was fast asleep next to Roman, resting his head on his shoulder. Roman grinned and continued watching the movie until the end. As he went to stand up, he heard Virgil rumble next to him. After asking if he could assist him to his bedroom, Virgil gave a small, sleepy nod. Roman scooped him up, receiving a small squeak from Virgil. Roman chuckled to himself as he carried Virgil back into his own room. Roman couldn’t help but grinning as he walked through his own bedroom and laid out on his bed. 

As far as he could tell, the future was looking bright.


	10. Collision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date is a go! Or is it? Virgil goes to pick up supplies for the outing and notices something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! Posting twice in one . . . well i guess it's morning now huh. Anyway, I've really been looking forward to this chapter and I hope you enjoy! This one's a bit short but it is very important for the story to move forward. :)

They had it all planned out. Virgil was going to pick up some food from a local restaurant and then meet Roman at a nearby park where they would gaze at clouds until sunset while listening to music on a picnic blanket. They had made sure to plan out every single detail. Virgil had felt himself begin to get nervous, but the good kind of nervous (not the kind of nervous that made you want to curl up in a ball and hide). He had butterflies in his stomach and it felt like his heart was in his throat . . . and it was only 10am. 

Virgil got ready to head down to breakfast with his roommates, putting on a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of black ripped jeans he had recently bought from his place of work. He could smell baked batter as he went to sit down at the table and partake in whatever delicious food Patton had prepared for them today. It turned out that today, the breakfast was old fashioned waffles with butterscotch syrup. He came down to see the rest of them dressed in t-shirts and jean shorts. It was supposedly going to be quite hot today but Virgil didn’t mind the heat. After the food was served and gobbled down, Virgil began gathering up the dishes to get started on clean up. Roman stood with him and they shyly bumped into each other in the kitchen. 

“Ready for tonight, Shadow Lark?” 

“Shadow Lark? That’s a new one.” Virgil chuckled. He then walked towards Logan’s room to get the keys for the L wagon so he could get the food for the date. “Alright, so I’m meeting you at this address?” Virgil confirmed before walking out the front door. “Yes! Call me once you get the food, I’ll start setting up the blanket then.” Virgil gave a salute before shutting the door behind him. After double and triple checking he had everything he needed, he got into the car and drove off. 

He must have been too nervous about the upcoming date to see the truck parked on the street behind him rev to life and begin following at a distance. 

Getting the food took longer than Virgil anticipated and he started tapping his toes as he waited in line. After what seemed like an eternity, he grabbed the food, hopped in the car and set off towards the park. He heard his phone buzzing next to him and safely answered the call from Roman and put him on speaker. “Sorry Ro, the line was horrendous.” Virgil could hear Roman laughing through his device as Roman assured Virgil that it was quite alright. Virgil let out a sigh of relief as he turned onto a back road that would take him to the park Princey had pointed out. 

Checking his rear view mirror, he noticed a large black truck was right behind him, riding his bumper. 

“Damn, some people have no respect for other drivers. This guy is riding my ass.”

“Virgil, I’m certain that the driver could be a kind person in real life. Some people just get engulfed by their road rage.” Virgil laughed at that, until he realized that this truck had been on his tail since he started his car ride. Virgil even remembered him pulling into the parking lot. “Roman,” Virgil said, panic seeping into his voice, “I think this guy has been following me.”

Roman’s voice was laced with concern as he began asking if he could see the driver. “I don’t know, it looks like his windows are blacked out.” Virgil felt his panic increase as he saw the truck increase speed as it drew closer to Logan’s car. “Roman I think he’s gonna hit ---” A deafening crash cut him off as white hot pain caressed the left side of his head and he felt the seat belt tighten against him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he saw the landscape in front of him shift to the side. 

He was rolling. 

Roman listened in horror as he heard scraping metal and crashes drown out the yells from the driver. The crashes and scrapes stopped but Roman stood upright as he heard alarms going off and painful moans come from Virgil through the phone. “Virgil!! Can you hear me?!?! Are you okay??”

The only answer he got was a groan and a faint . . . no it couldn’t be. 

Roman couldn’t believe his ears, because who would be laughing after a terrible car crash? 

Roman felt his blood turn to ice and his heart catch in his throat as he heard a voice through the phone that didn’t belong to Virgil. No, this voice was sickly and smooth. it was seeping with fake kindness. It seemed to be cold and welcoming all at the same time. But nothing was more unsettling than the words the voice spoke. 

“Why hello there Virgie! It’s been a long, long time hasn’t it?”

**Author's Note:**

> HI! Let me know what you think! Any constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!


End file.
